YALI Partner Appreciation: The Dow Chemical Company

Goodbyes are never easy…sorry some goodbyes. In life, there are people, with whom you may not talk to daily or even a month, but an encounter with them every so often resets you or elevates you to a new level. Such is the man Dave Govender, General Manager East Africa, The DOW Chemical Company. The first time I met Dave during our steering committee, it was obvious he was not your ordinary CEO. Perhaps it`s his thought process or simply ‘shooting straight’ approach but with an easy landing, that sets him apart.

He Co-Chairs the steering committee for the YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa with Joshua Oigara, KCB Group CEO. Dynamite right? The role of the steer -co is to advise and guide the Center, to open doors to other potential partners and simply keep the leadership team on toes. His insights in the last one year (at least within the timeline I have known him) have been valuable both for the team and at an individual level.

He has been at the forefront of pushing for YALI within the private sector space. You will often hear him talk about the talent pipeline that YALI produces, the impact of the initiatives that have resulted from the program and the many young people he enjoys meeting who are doing great things to transform their communities. He is a storyteller of sorts and will readily share his experience of the alumni he has met and what they are doing. He is so sold to YALI that in his new role as YALI Lead within DOW, he intends to attract more organizations to join the camp of YALI diehards. You can tell how much the company values the partnership by the number of high-level guests that we have had from the company in the last one year.

We can’t thank him enough for his wisdom and insights. I know my colleagues agree. What amazes me is the amount of energy, resources and time that the organization as a whole from the President has invested in YALI. Beyond brand equity, he says it’s the right thing to do as a company and even for him, to support young people who are changing lives and influencing their communities once they complete the program is a noble cause which he regards highly.

It’s been a great partnership even as they have sponsored one of the tracks (Business) for a year. We look forward to doing great things together in the years ahead. The DOW Chemical Company remains one of our strongest partners, and for that, we are grateful. We welcome more partners to join the camp of those seeking to transform the lives of young people and establishing leaders among the youth.

Thank you DOW!